Plot

At 11:30pm on October 11th, 1975, a ferocious troupe of young comedians and writers changed television forever. Find out what happened behind the scenes in the 90 minutes leading up to the first broadcast of Saturday Night Live (1975).

At 11:30pm on October 11, 1975, a ferocious troupe of young comedians and writers changed television--and culture--forever. "Saturday Night" is based on the true story of what happened behind the scenes in the 90 minutes leading up to the first broadcast of Saturday Night Live. Full of humor, chaos, and the magic of a revolution that almost wasn't, count down the minutes in real time until those famous words are uttered for the very first time.—Columbia Pictures

On October 11, 1975, Lorne Michaels arrived at the NBC building to prepare for the airing of the first episode of "Saturday Night" on NBC. The evening was filled with mishaps and a cast and crew that were struggling to cooperate. Michaels's boss, Dick Ebersol, warned him that David Tebet had brought executives from across the country to watch the broadcast. Although Tebet offered encouraging words to Michaels, Ebersol made it clear that Tebet had little faith in the show and was ready to replace it with a rerun of "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" if necessary.

Garrett Morris, who had a background in operatic theater, questioned his role among a cast of comedic performers. John Belushi remained detached from everyone and frequently picked fights. Jim Henson expressed his dissatisfaction with the way the writers were treating him, while the writers found themselves at odds with censor Joan Carbunkle and her demands. Host George Carlin thought the entire production was a sham, and everyone was trying to figure out what the show was really about. Chevy Chase confronted Milton Berle after Berle made advances toward his girlfriend, Jacqueline, only to be told off and warned that he would amount to nothing. Michaels even received an unsupported warning from Johnny Carson himself.

Despite Michaels advising him against it, Ebersol attempted to pitch the idea of performing a sketch involving a Polaroid camera for product placement. Belushi became furious, stormed off the set, and claimed he was quitting. As the team frantically searched for him, assistant Neil Levy was given a joint by Paul Shaffer and panicked, locking himself in a closet. The cast eventually coaxed him out. Michaels decided to unwind at a bar, where he met comedy writer Alan Zweibel and hired him on the spot to write for the show. Along with Gilda Radner, he later found Belushi ice skating and gradually convinced him to return to the show and sign his contract. A brief conversation with Henson further motivated Michaels to continue with the production.

As the cast, crew, and everyone prepared for the show, Tebet arrived, demanding that it be shut down unless Michaels could clearly explain what the show entailed. Andy Kaufman performed his Mighty Mouse skit, followed by Chase doing an impromptu version of Weekend Update using Zweibel's recently written material. An audience finally filled the venue as the cast and crew made their final preparations. Michael O'Donoghue and Belushi performed the Wolverine sketch, which received a positive reaction from the audience. Chase then entered the scene, announcing, "Live from New York, it's Saturday Night!"